A Saturday evening gas leak in a propane tank at The Homes at Perry Cabin required emergency crews to burn off the entire contents of the 500-gallon tank.

According to an email to residents sent out by The Homes at Perry Cabin, the serious gas leak behind Building 11 was reported to 911 and Suburban Propane at about 6 p.m. Saturday.

The St. Michaels Fire Department and the St. Michaels Police Department quickly arrived and called in the Maryland Department of the Environment for assistance. The fire department also called for backup from the Tilghman Island Fire Department.

Suburban Propane also responded to the scene.

MDE determined that the tank had been filled to 100% capacity, rather than the standard 80% capacity, creating a serious and potentially dangerous situation.

MDE said 100 gallons of pr0pane would need to be burned off. Caution tape was put up and the area was cordoned off. Police told residents that if they left the area, they could not return to the parking areas closed to the emergency activity.

After the initial burnoff had been completed, crews determined that the existing valve had failed and would need to be replaced, requiring a complete burn-off of the tank’s contents.

A new, slower valve was installed and the burn-off continued until about 6 a.m. Sunday.

In the email, the Homes at Perry Cabin said the tank is empty and open and asked residents to avoid the area along the Miles near the propane tank, noting there “is a strong noxious chemical odor present that may take a few days to dissipate.”

Suburban was returning to further address the situation, according to the email. Suburban checked the fill levels on other tanks and will be out to complete a safety check.

“After 12 plus hours battling the propane tank, our dedicated Fire Department finally left the scene at 6:30 this morning,” the email concluded. “The MDE left at 9:40 AM headed to another call. We as a community are grateful for the quick thinking and professionalism of all our local emergency and state services.

“We are open to ideas to thank our first responders as a community and encourage personal donations to our volunteer St. Michaels Fire Department.”

By now, you probably know about how St. Michaels’ Windon Distilling, home of Lyon Rum, temporarily ventured into making hand sanitizers. But did you know that they’re still at it?

If you don’t remember or weren’t paying close attention, here is a brief recap. In mid-March, as businesses closed around the nation, the call went out, and a temporary dispensation was given to beverage alcohol distilleries to help make much-needed sanitizers. Distilleries everywhere took on the challenge. As the founder and CEO of Windon Distilling and the President of the Maryland Distillers Guild, Jamie Windon was in a unique position to help guide and create a network and database to funnel the many requests they were getting. These requests came from all over Maryland on behalf of multiple state agencies, front line workers, and essential businesses.

Those first few weeks were a scramble to learn how to make the product, how to procure the ancillary supplies (glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, bottles), and how to get it to the people who needed it. But the decision to make a new product was something they knew they had to do, not something they were doing from a business perspective. “This was our saying, yes to a need that came down to us from the State and the County,” says Windon. “We were simply responding, and because we were responding to their requests, we had no idea when we made that first batch if that was the only batch we were going to make, if we were going to do that and be done with it, or how long this would continue.”

It went on longer than what anyone expected. For six weeks, they tried to keep up with the demand. At one point, Windon remembers, the guild had a backlog of requests for over 20,000 gallons that had to be filled. And with 90% of the Distilling’s staff laid off, it became the responsibility of Windon and her partners to roll up their sleeves and “work 24/7 just as if we were starting a new business.”

With such a tremendous need, there was, of course, no extras to go around, despite the many calls they were receiving from the public. But two weeks ago, it all changed. The Distilling company is still making hand sanitizers, but they now have enough to sell to the private consumer, whether it’s an individual or a business preparing to reopen.

“Now anybody that needs it can contact us,” says Windon. “A business owner said to me the other day, ‘Oh man, I can’t find hand sanitizer, and when I did, it was $60 a gallon.’ And I said, ‘you know I make it, and it’s $35 a gallon.’ That’s been a mission of ours since the very beginning when we started this. We, along with many of our fellow distillers in Maryland, have worked to help correct price gouging and to provide something that was needed at a fair price. That’s just hugely important to us as a company.”

But don’t expect to see the personal-sized bottles. The company only sells one-gallon containers. And don’t expect to just be able to run into the distillery and pick one up. All transactions are done through email, with pickup by appointment at the showroom or their booth at the farmer’s markets.

At this point, Windon plans on continuing to make hand sanitizers as long as it’s needed and is proud of her company’s role in this unexpected opportunity. They won’t, however, be branding it into the Windon family of products. “If you look at our bottles, they have the FDA label. It’s very simple and clean. It’s a functional refill of an essential item, and it would be awful to stop making it when people in our community need it. When that need ceases, and when the calls and emails stop coming in, we’ll stop making it.”

She was also quick to confirm her real passion. “I don’t want a hand sanitizer business. I like making rum. I mean, that’s what we do here. Out of necessity, this booze factory is temporarily a hand sanitizer factory.”

This is a relief to the many Lyon fans, who had worried that the company might run out of rum. “Luckily, she said, “this is our seventh year in business, and we had a pretty good stock of the rum inventory and other spirits going into this. We stopped spirit production for about seven weeks to concentrate on the hand sanitizers.”

This past week the distillery started doing fermentations and making rum again. Their partner, Grey Wolf Distilling, has also begun distilling their vodka line. “But of course, like any business right now,” says Windon, “we’re not jumping back into full manufacturing because we simply don’t know what’s to come and what the demand will be. We’re just beginning to see our normal business start to come back. We’re still about 75% down in sales, but just enough to start needing to refill the rum supply.”

Which is a surprising comment given that the liquor industry has been reported to be thriving right now. Says Windon that could not be further from the truth. “Craft distillers and craft breweries across the country, especially in Maryland, are suffering. They’re suffering because their tasting rooms are closed, and in-store liquor store tasting opportunities are gone. In Maryland, we’ve seen an average of about 75% reduction in sales and as much as 100% for some distilleries. My friends who have breweries tell terrible stories about having to dump beer that’s beginning to expire that wasn’t sold. Luckily spirits don’t expire, so we count our blessings where we can.”

With tasting rooms being a critical revenue source for craft breweries, will Windon expect a quick return to reopen? Not quite. “Out of safety and responsibility to my staff and my customers, I was one of the very first businesses to close my doors before the Governor mandated it. I anticipate that I’ll be one of the last businesses to fully open my doors once it’s legal as well, simply because I want to take things slow. Our distillery is about hospitality, about taking care of people, making people comfortable. And until the public feels a renewed sense of trust that it’s safe to be close to people, we are aren’t able to provide what we normally provide, which is seriously wonderful service with a smile. That’s the core of who we are, and until we can do that, there’s no reason for me to open the tasting room. And I’m not in a hurry to. I’m going to wait until it’s safe. I don’t know how long that’ll take, but we’ll be here. We’re not going anywhere. We’ll just be doing things differently.”

Val Cavalheri is a recent transplant to the Eastern Shore, having lived in Northern Virginia for the past 20 years. She’s been a writer, editor and professional photographer for various publications, including the Washington Post.

As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps around the globe, uncertainty and apprehension travels right along with it. But humanity, as it often does, rises to the challenge in so many ways big and small, as I have been lucky enough to witness in St. Michaels, Md. through my role as the St. Michaels Community Center’s Executive Director.

In addition to all the selfless health care workers, law enforcement agencies, grocery workers, food manufacturers, truck drivers, churches, social service groups, soup kitchens and more, there are also many unseen heroes among us. Neighbors, friends, and strangers are stepping up to support each other and the folks on the front lines helping to keep our communities safe, heal the sick and feed the hungry.

The St. Michaels Community Center is honored to be part of an amazing community of food support organizations operating under the Talbot County Emergency Services Task Force. We have been working hard to keep food on the tables and bags of groceries in the homes of those in need in the Bay Hundred area in partnership with other food banks, churches, and Meals on Wheels, and many local businesses and incredible volunteers pulling together.

One of the early tasks SMCC accepted was to make deliveries to anyone in need in the Bay Hundred area. Very quickly, we realized there were going to be a LOT of deliveries.

While “Old Blue”—SMCC’s trusty small school bus—has served us well transporting children to the Center’s after-school programs, transporting large pick-ups of cases of food bank orders three times a week was going to be pushing it.

Then, Mr. Scott Wagner of St. Michaels, Md. walked into SMCC while the staff was rushing to prepare one of the weekly meal and grocery shipments. I had never met Mr. Wagner.

He and I spoke for quite a while about the St. Michaels Community Center and the efforts our community and county were undergoing to fight this invisible invader. Within days, Scott and his wife Tracy stunned SMCC with a nearly new Ford Transit, 15-seat passenger/cargo van to help us fulfill our mission to serve.

This incredibly generous act of kindness—and all the other support SMCC and the other hardworking organizations and agencies are receiving—give us the inspiration and determination needed to keep going and helps us get through this the best way we can. Thank you!

The St. Michaels commission president’s votes on the location for a new town office were not a conflict of interest, the town’s ethics panel has unanimously ruled.

In its April 8 decision, the St. Michaels Ethics Commission also chastised the St. Michaels Action Committee LLC (SMAC), which had filed the ethics complaint against William E. Boos.

“In closing and in the best interest of the Town of St. Michaels, we are compelled to observe that the gravamen (essence) of the complaint was evidently more about influencing a Town policy outcome than a public ethics transgression under the Ethics Ordinance,” the ethics commission wrote.

In its findings of fact, the ethics commission said SMAC members David Breimhurst and Doug Rollow testified that SMAC, in an Oct. 3, 2019, settlement proposal Rollow emailed to Boos, SMAC offered to suspend the circuit court proceeding if Boos would change his vote on the skateboard park feasibility study.

SMAC, in its settlement proposal, also agreed to end the circuit court proceeding, regardless of the outcome of the feasibility study, if the study was commensurate with a 2017 study on the Boundary Lane Property and completed in a timely fashion.

“According to the testimony of Mr. Breimhurst, in its settlement proposal, SMAC was not looking for impartiality from Boos; its objective was for him to vote the way SMAC wanted him to vote,” the ethics commission wrote.

Complaint

In its complaint, SMAC said Boos violated his duty “to recuse himself from actions in which his judgment has been impaired as a result of his employment relationship with Curtis Stokes & Associates, and the [boat brokerage) relationship between Curtis Stokes & Associates and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.”

SMAC said that Boos’ votes on October 17, 2018, November 14, 2018, and February 13, 2019, concerning properties owned by the town on Fremont Street and at 301 Mill Street “impermissibly furthered the interests of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum,” which has expressed a strong interest in purchasing 301 Mill Street, and that Boos’ “impartiality or independence of judgment is impaired” with respect to the museum.

Procedural history

The ethics commission said SMAC filed its ethics complaint on April 10, 2019. On April 25, 2019, the commission deliberated on the complaint without a hearing and voted unanimously to dismiss the complaint.

On May 31, 2019, SMAC filed a petition for judicial review in Talbot County Circuit Court. On January 2, 2020, a judge sent the complaint back to the ethics commission and ordered it “to hold a hearing, place witnesses under oath, record the proceedings, permit the presentation of evidence by all interested persons and to allow for reasonable cross examination of witnesses.”

The commission held a public hearing on February 25, 2020, with its three members — Chairman Sidney Davenport-Trond, Peter Hartjens, and John E. Hunnicutt — in attendance. SMAC offered three witnesses — Boos, and David Breimhurst and Doug Rollow of SMAC; Boos offered two witnesses — Curtis Stokes, principal of Curtis Stokes Associates, and Kristen Greenaway, president of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

On April 1, 6, and 8, 2020, the ethics commission met by conference call (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) to deliberate its findings of fact and conclusions of law.

The panel unanimously concluded that none of the votes or actions taken by Commissioner Boos that have been raised by SMAC created an impermissible conflict of interest under the town’s public ethics ordinance.

Ethics Commission’s Findings of Fact

Boos was sworn in as a town commissioner in June 2016 and became president on June 14, 2017. Around the time of his June 2016 election, Boos sold his local boat brokerage business to Curtis Stokes & Associates (“CSA”), after which he became an independent contractor for CSA.

William E. Boos

As an independent contractor, Boos was “paid commissions on a transaction-by-transaction basis for services he rendered to CSA either by directly brokering the sale of boats or by assisting other independent contractors of CSA by handling the paperwork associated with those brokers’ sales in particular boat brokerage transactions….,” the ethics commission found. “(F)or our purposes the import of the independent contractor relationship between Commissioner Boos and CSA is that it exists on a boat brokerage transaction-by-transaction basis which lends itself to enabling Commissioner Boos to separate himself from CSA if and when he chooses to do so.”

Boos spends about 30 hours weekly on town matters and about five hours to his independent contractor services for CSA. He earned about $13,000.00 from CSA in 2019. “Commissioner Boos serves as an independent contractor for CSA on a part-time basis and the amount of money that he earns from CSA is not material to his economic well-being,” the ethics commission wrote. “Commissioner Boos considers serving as a Town Commissioner to be a full-time job and far more important and fulfilling for him than his relatively minimal amount of time devoted to CSA.”

“Despite the foregoing, we find that Commissioner Boos was and remains ‘affiliated’ with CSA within the meaning of Section 22-5(A) of the Town’s Ethics Ordinance. However, with respect to the application of Section 22-5(D) of the Town’s Ethics Ordinance, the Commission observes that on a case by-case basis it may matter whether a Town official’s outside employment relationship impairs his or her independence of judgment on a particular Town issue depending on whether that employment relationship is material to the economic well-being of the Town official and his or her family or incidental,” the ethics commission wrote. “For purposes of the votes or actions taken by Commissioner Boos that have been raised by SMAC in this proceeding, we find that Commissioner Boos’ employment relationship with CSA is incidental.”

Before Boos was elected to the town commission, the St. Michaels commissioners had entered into a non-binding letter of intent with the museum to explore an ownership exchange of 301 Mill Street (the town skateboard park) and 107 Mill Street (the museum parking area) on terms and conditions to be negotiated in the future, including price.

After Boos became a town commissioner, the commissioners negotiated with the museum to further explore the ownership exchange; as commission president, Boos signed letters of negotiation that were approved by the commissioners. The negotiations ended in May 2018, but the museum has always made it clear that it has a continuing interest in an ownership exchange of the Town Skateboard Park and the Museum Parking Area.

In summer 2018, the town commissioners were deciding where to locate a new town office and police station. “Among the properties then owned by the Town that were under consideration were the Town Skateboard Park, Town property situated on the corner of Fremont Street and Canton Street (the “Fremont Street Property”) and Town property situated on Boundary Lane (the “Boundary Lane Property”).”

At the town’s July 11, 2018, meeting, the commissioners considered the town office location and a recommendation from the Town Office Building Committee that, by a 3 to 2 vote, selected the Fremont Street property as the preferred site and the skateboard park as its second choice. The committee also “recommended that the Commissioners continue to look at the Town Skateboard Park as an option and authorize a sewer line inspection to determine the viability and cost of relocating sewer lines which were important to determine whether the Town Skateboard Park is a buildable lot.”

At that meeting, Boos made a motion to approve the Fremont Street Property as the location for the new town office. Because there was no second, the motion failed. The town commissioners later voted 3-1, with Boos opposed, to authorize funding for a study to determine the viability and cost of relocating sewer lines on the skateboard park.

At the town’s August 8, 2018, meeting, the commissioners again considered the town office location. At this meeting, Boos again made a motion to approve the Fremont Street property as the location for the new town office, which was approved 4-0 (with Boos voting in favor). During this meeting, there was also a discussion of the proposed swap of the town skateboard park for the museum parking area. Boos said he was in favor of the swap because it would expand the town’s parking and made the most sense for the town.

During the Oct. 17, 2018, commission meeting, Commissioner Michael Bibb made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Joyce Harrod, to look into the feasibility of the skateboard park for the new town office. The motion failed by a vote of 2 to 2 with Boos for the second time voting against the feasibility study.

SMAC, in its complaints, asserted that at this juncture “Boos possessed an irreconcilable conflict of interest which should have caused him to recuse himself from voting” at the October 17, 2018, meeting, the ethics commission wrote. Generally, SMAC contends that by this time there was an economic relationship between the museum and CSA that precluded Boos from voting Oct. 17 against the feasibility study “or from thereafter participating in any vote of the Town Commissioners on either that issue or on any matter pertaining to the Town Office Location Issue.”

SMAC’s assertion stems from an Oct. 16, 2018, email from CBMM President Kristin Greenaway to Boos explaining that she had left a telephone message for him to discuss a brokerage related concept.

Boos testified that at some time before October 22, 2018, he had a general telephone conversation with Greenaway during which she generally inquired about the kind of services a boat broker offers and whether those services could assist the museum to obtain a better return on the sales of donated boats. “Based on the evidence presented, we cannot, and do not, find that this communication occurred prior to the Town Commissioners meeting of October 17, 2018. We can only conclude that it occurred prior to October 22, 2018.”

“After October 22, 2018, the first and only substantive meeting involving the Museum, CSA and Commissioner Boos occurred on October 29, 2018. At that meeting the Museum and CSA discussed the framework for a boat brokerage relationship between the Museum and CSA that could potentially result in the Museum paying a commission to CSA of 10% on Museum boats both marketed and sold by CSA and a 5% commission on Museum boats marketed by CSA but sold by a third party.

“At this meeting Commissioner Boos announced to both the Museum and CSA that he would be completely excluded from this economic relationship between the Museum and CSA if it came to fruition. Specifically, all documents entered into evidence and all witnesses who testified stated that Commissioner Boos explained that because Museum matters have the potential of coming before the Town Commissioners, he would have a conflict of interest and it would be unethical if he was to benefit economically from a business relationship between the Museum and CSA. For this reason, Commissioner Boos made clear that he would not receive any commissions from CSA for Museum boat brokerage business, and he would be excluded from handling any Museum boat brokerage transactions that passed through CSA if the Museum and CSA entered into an economic relationship.

“On November 5, 2018, the Museum and CSA executed a Memorandum of Understanding … establishing an economic relationship between the Museum and CSA whereby the Museum would pay a commission to CSA of 10% on Museum boats both marketed and sold by CSA and a 5% commission on Museum boats marketed by CSA but sold by a third party. Based upon the evidence presented, we find that the M.O.U. was drafted without any involvement from Commissioner Boos. We further find that Commissioner Boos, the Museum, and CSA all understood at the time of execution of the M.O.U. that Commissioner Boos would be excluded both economically and transactionally from the economic relationship formed between the Museum and CSA by the M.O.U.

“On November 21, 2018, Commissioner Boos sent an email to the principal of CSA, Curtis Stokes, memorializing his exclusion from participation in the economic relationship between CSA and the Museum.

At its December 13, 2018, meeting, “the Town Commissioners discussed the fact that the design work for the new town office had reached the point where it had been determined that location … on the Fremont Street Property would likely require twenty-one (21) parking spaces, but the anticipated design could only accommodate fourteen (14) or fifteen (15) spaces…. Thereafter, the Town Commissioners engaged in a discussion acknowledging that the Town’s consultant had concluded that the Town Code’s minimum parking standards were excessive and served as an impediment to efficient use of land resources within the Town.

“Following that discussion, Commissioner Boos made a motion to direct the Town Manager to draft a text amendment to revise the parking requirements in the Town Code to reduce those parking requirements to two and one-half spaces per one thousand square feet from the current specification of one (1) space per three hundred (300) square feet. This motion passed by a 5 to 0 vote…. While this vote would have general application within the Town, it also favored the Town Commissioners’ prior decision to locate the New Town Office on the Fremont Street Property because it solved the parking impediment to constructing the New Town Office on the Fremont Street Property.

“On December 21, 2018 Commissioner Boos emailed to Town Clerk/Manager Jean Weisman a letter addressed to the Ethics Commission requesting an advisory opinion regarding a potential conflict of interest that might exist for him in his role as Town Commissioner with respect to future interactions on behalf of the Town with the Museum as a result of the M.O.U. between the Museum and CSA. On January 17, 2019 the Commission issued an advisory opinion to Commissioner Boos.

“At the Town Commissioners meeting on January 10, 2019, during public discussion, written and verbal comments were submitted informing the Town Commissioners that some citizens favored the Town Skateboard Park to the Fremont Street Property for the location of the New Town Office. Additionally, a number of citizens stated that the Town Commissioners should recuse themselves from voting on the parking ordinance as a result of a conflict of interest involving relationships with the Museum. Thereafter, Commissioner Boos introduced Ordinance No. 499 to change the parking requirements in the Town Code. While no vote of the Commissioners was taken, Commissioner Boos’ action constituted a required procedural step in the process toward amending the Town’s parking requirements.

“At the Town Commissioners meeting on February 13, 2019, during public comment, the Town Skateboard Park Feasibility Issue was discussed including comments from President Greenaway of the Museum supporting the Fremont Street Property as the location for the New Town Office. Commissioner Bibb made a motion to commission a feasibility study for the Town Skateboard Park that was seconded by Commissioner Harrod. The motion failed by a vote of 2 to 2 with Commissioner Boos again voting in opposition.

Curtis Stokes and Boos testified that Boos has not handled any transactions for CSA involving museum boats and Boos has not received any commissions from CSA relating to the boat brokerage transactions between the museum and CSA.

Conclusions

SMAC’s complaint involved two provisions of the town’s ethics ordinance.

Section 22-5(A) states:

No Town official, Town inspector or Town employee shall:

A. Participate on behalf of the Town in any matter which would, to their knowledge, have a direct financial impact, as distinguished from the public generally, on them, their spouse or dependent child, or a business entity with which they are affiliated.

The ethics commission said any vote by Boos on any matter that would directly result in a financial benefit to him or to CSA would pose a conflict under this provision. For example, if the town commissioners were voting on whether to award a boat brokerage contract directly between the town and CSA, that would pose a conflict.

However, that has not occurred, according to the ethics commission. Instead, SMAC argues that the ethics commission “should infer that the museum was offering the proverbial ‘quid pro quo’ of the boat brokerage relationship with CSA in exchange for Boos’ votes” in favor of locating the new town office on the Fremont Street property in order to preserve the availability of the town skateboard park for a proposed property swap with the museum.

The ethics commission concluded “that use of the phrase ‘direct financial impact’ in § 22-5(A) means precisely that and should not be extended to encompass speculative indirect impacts as proffered by SMAC.

The commission found from the evidence that none of Boos’ votes or actions at issue had either a direct or indirect financial impact on him or CSA.

“Additionally, we conclude from the evidence that the Museum would have entered into the M.O.U. with CSA regardless of how Commissioner Boos voted on any issues that came before the Town Commissioners relating to the location of the New Town Office,” the ethics commission wrote. “Further, we conclude from the evidence that Commissioner Boos would have voted, and will continue to vote, in favor of locating the New Town Office on the Fremont Street Property regardless of whether there is any economic relationship between the Museum and CSA.

“Notably, Commissioner Boos voted at least twice in favor of locating the New Town Office on the Fremont Street Property before there was any suggestion of an economic relationship between the Museum and CSA.

Section 22–5(D) of the town ethics code states:

No Town official, Town inspector or Town employee shall:

D. Hold any outside employment relationship that would impair their impartiality or independence of judgment.

The ethics commission said Section 22-5(D) is broader and could potentially pose a conflict of interest as a result of an indirect financial benefit. However, the panel said this section gives greater discretion to the ethics commission “because the standard more subjectively requires us to determine” whether Boos’ employment relationship with CSA impaired his
impartiality or independence of judgment on the votes raised by SMAC.

“We found Commissioner Boos to be credible and sincere when he testified that he prioritizes his role as a Town Commissioner significantly above his incidental employment relationship with CSA,” the ethics commission wrote. “Moreover, when the prospect of an economic relationship between the Museum and CSA arose, Commissioner Boos demonstrated that his priority is to serve as a Town Commissioner by swiftly removing any possibility that a boat brokerage relationship between the Museum and CSA could impair his impartiality or independence of judgment. Specifically, Commissioner Boos promptly advised both parties that he would have no involvement economically or even procedurally in any transactions between the Museum and CSA.

“Because Commissioner Boos’ employment relationship with CSA is solely based upon commissions that are tied to specific boat brokerage transactions, Commissioner Boos is able to insulate himself from transactions with CSA’s clients if he chooses to do so,” the ethics commission wrote. “Here, that is precisely what he has done. Consequently, we find that Commissioner Boos’ employment relationship with CSA did not impair his impartiality or independence of judgment.

“For all of the foregoing reasons, we conclude that … none of the votes or actions taken by Commissioner Boos that have been raised by SMAC in this proceeding created an impermissible conflict of interest.”

Even before COVID-19 hit our area, 40% of the children in Easton Elementary schools were considered ‘food insecure.’ Through programs such as FARMs (free and reduced-priced meals) that work with Talbot County Public School (TCPS) and Sodexo (the company that provides the food), these children and others in the school community throughout the area received breakfast and lunches during the school week. The group, CarePacks, made sure they were fed on the weekends.

Emily Moody and Megan Cook, also partnering with TCPS and the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, founded CarePacks eight years ago. They had a clear goal: ‘to provide every eligible student with a backpack filled with healthy, easily accessible meals and snacks every Friday afternoon so that when students return to school on Mondays, they are well-nourished and ready to learn.’

This year, CarePacks started a family-style pantry weekend program at Easton Elementary, sending larger staples such as frozen meats, breads, and produce home to the families on the 4th Friday of each month. The need was high. “There’s a lot of poverty happening that maybe people aren’t aware,” says Cook. “Talbot County has a high FARMs rate, and a lot of our families are the working poor. These are people who are working multiple jobs, yet have limited income. And as the costs go up, what gets squeezed over time is the amount that they can spend on groceries.”

500 family bags ready for delivery

Now with school closures, all programs have had to redefine how to assist those in need within the community. TCPS and Sodexo have been packaging three meals and a snack a day for anyone between the ages of 2 and 18. These meals are then either being picked up throughout nine designated sites throughout Talbot County or delivered using volunteers and/or TCPS buses.

CarePacks has also expanded its outreach from a monthly to a weekly weekend delivery for families. “Last Friday we packed and ordered for 250 families,” says Cook. “This week, we packed and ordered and delivered for 500 families. We anticipate our numbers to grow.”

CarePacks is grateful for all the help they’ve received. “We did a Facebook ask and raised funds to purchase 4,000 pounds last week,” says Cook. “TCPS staff have been fabulous! Helping distribute the food either at the middle schools, remote sites or door to door. St Marks Church delivered food for a neighborhood.” This, in addition to the

businesses and groups, such as Rotary, Lions Club, women’s groups, retired teaches, etc., that have always supported them under normal circumstances. “Whenever we’ve needed anything, someone or some group has stepped forward. It’s been like that since day one and continues today. The last few weeks have been no different. Everyone bands together to get the job done. It’s an amazing community we live in.”

There are many ways to help; however, as things are rapidly changing and evolving, Cook recommends following them on Facebook, where they post their most current need.

Bill Boos is no stranger to difficult times, but like so many of his fellow residents in St. Michaels, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is something no one could possibly imagine four weeks ago. Not only is the current crisis for an unknown challenge every municipality in the country, but it is also particularly difficult for a place like St. Michaels and its high dependence on tourism.

In his Spy interview from yesterday, Bill, who serves as the president of the St. Michaels Commission, talks candidly about his town’s priorities, the concerns of second homeowners taking up residence on mass, and the town’s protection of its water supply and public safety.

The Union Baptist Church at 233 Glenwood Avenue will hold a FREE drive-thru food distribution for residents of Talbot County today, March 31, beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing till the food is gone. Drivers are asked to line up on Glenwood Avenue near the entrance to the church. (Note: Please clear your trunk before coming to the church.) You will need to complete a form you’ll receive on site; a picture of the form will be taken to limit contact. Proof of Talbot County residency may be required. DO NOT get out of your car and keep your windows closed. When you arrive at the head of the line, pop your trunk so the food can be loaded without your having to exit your car.

St. Michaels

A FREE Drive-thru, No Contact Farmers Market will take place in St. Michaels today, March 31, from 3-5 p.m. The Drive-Thru pick up will take place in the Public Parking Lot behind Pemberton’s Pharmacy; look for signage for traffic flow. Drive up, pop your trunk, and volunteers will drop in a bag of assorted fresh fruits and veggies! DO NOT EXIT YOUR CAR. To minimize risk, NO WALK-UPS ALLOWED. All produce has been generously donated by Sysco.

Delivery will be provided upon request for seniors, the disabled, and those without transportation. For delivery call Trish Payne with the St. Michaels Community Center, 410-829-3883, and leave your name, number in household, full address, and phone number.

Several years ago, my sisters and I attended the annual EuroChocolate Festival in Perugia, Umbria, as part of my siblings’ trip to Italy. Held annually for the past 27 years, the Festival has become the largest chocolate festival in Europe and attracts nearly one million tourists and Italians each year. It lasts for nine days and is located in seven of Perugia’s most charming squares and streets that become a sea of chocoholics.

Talbot County’s answer to Eurochocolate is the second annual St. Michaels ChocolateFest to be held Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8, rain or shine. Chocolate aficionados will enjoy a leisurely stroll through the Town of St. Michaels and the opportunity to indulge their cravings by sampling an assortment of chocolate concoctions, candies, artisan chocolates, and desserts, along with wine and chocolate pairings, beer, and spirits. Restaurant chefs will be creating delectable special menu items to showcase chocolate inspired dishes and desserts. Inns and Bed and Breakfasts will feature chocolate-inspired get-away packages. Several St. Michaels shops will be offering special chocolate inspired events.

The Main Event is the ChocolateFest Chocolate Crawl on Saturday, March 7. Tasting tickets can be purchased (in quantities of 10—one tasting per ticket) and redeemed at any of the participating Tasting Venues 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. All tickets must be purchased by Wednesday, March 4th. Sales will be limited and pre-purchased tickets can be picked up Saturday, March 7th starting at 10:00 am at the ChocolateFest tent, located in the parking lot at the corner of Railroad Ave at 100 S. Talbot St.

SATURDAY, MARCH 7 SPECIAL EVENTS

Simpatico, Italy’s Finest, at 106 Railroad Ave, will offer Italian Wine, Spirits, Liqueurs, Chocolate, and Cheese tastings from 11 am – 5 pm. Up to 35 wines, spirits, and liqueurs will be paired with specific Italian chocolates and/or cheeses under a heated tent next to Simpatico. Tickets can be purchased here. Note that Simpatico is also a Tasting Venue for the Chocolate Crawl, but only a chocolate tasting will be provided as part of those tickets.

TriCycle and Run will sponsor a Hot Chocolate 5k Run/Walk. Check-in at TriCycle and Run, located at 929 S. Talbot Street, and prepare for all the festivities with a 5k (3.1 miles) run/walk before heading into town. The course includes the popular St. Michaels Nature Trail, with a few minor road crossings. Packet pickup and registration begins at 8:00 am, with the run/walk starting promptly at 9:00 am. Parking is available at the St Michaels Elementary School parking lot (100 Seymour Avenue, St Michaels, MD). Awards will be given out for Overall Winners, as well as age groups. Register here.

Skipjack’s St. Michaels at 111 S. Talbot Street, will host a Golden Ticket Scavenger Hunt with Golden Tickets hidden throughout Skipjack’s St. Michaels store. Each Golden Ticket can be redeemed for a free item and must be used that Saturday. More info on their Facebook page.

The Inn at Perry Cabin 308 Watkins Ln, will offer a special chocolate Spa treatment, call for appointment 410-745-2200.

The St. Michaels Community Center Heart Mart at 103 Railroad Ave will sponsor local crafters and bakers who will be offering ChocolateFest themed items for sale from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Community Center. Facebook event here.

Simpatico will also host a Chocolate Dessert Competition from Noon to 4 pm featuring up to 10 desserts from local professional and home bakers. For $5, paid at the tasting table, attendees can taste and vote for their choice of five of the delectable offerings. The dessert competition proceeds, after expenses, will be donated to local charities. The winning dessert maker will receive a gift basket from the St. Michaels Business Association. To enter a dessert, send an email to simpatico1@verizon.net or call 410-745-0345.

The Inn at Perry Cabin 308 Watkins Ln, will offer a special chocolate Spa treatment, call for appointment 410-745-2200.

Restaurants throughout town will feature special chocolate offerings.

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I recently visited Reclaimed, “Iron and Wood Redefined”, one of the shops located in the new building on the former site of the Acme in St. Michaels. Reclaimed is a treasure trove of old and new items and the third store in St. Michaels’ shopping district for entrepreneurs Mark and Tracey Miller who are passionate about “rebuilding history one piece at a time.” Their backgrounds in teaching and custom building and their love of history led to their founding a demolition salvage company.

They now travel around the country seeking historic salvage, antiques, vintage pieces, and other treasures rescued from American vernacular-homesteads, old wood barns, and other dilapidated outbuildings in danger of demolition. The Millers take great pride in their extensive research and for being able to convey the historic provenance of the unique items they sell. The reward for their hard work is seeing a customer connect with a piece that has a personal memory for them, perhaps from childhood.

Being passionate about history, Mark and Tracey located their first and second stores, Iron Will Woodworks, “Rebuilding History One Piece at a Time,” and The Boathouse, “An Eastern Shore Journey,” in the historic former Just Right Flour Mill complex that was a working mill from the 1890s to its closing in 1970. Their historic salvage is right at home in this wood-framed building, with most of the Mill equipment still in place. The focus of the Iron Will Woodworks is shabby chic and farmhouse furniture found across their travels in the USA, as well as pieces they custom built from wood salvaged from old barns they took down.

The Boathouse, which opened in April 2019, offers contemporary furniture, local maritime salvage, and nautical decor. Mark and Tracey gutted two floors in a section of the Flour Mill, including one of the original engine rooms, and restored the space to its 1890s historic character. Prominently displayed on the walls are the original black & white Flour Mill photographs the Millers have discovered in their searches.

Reclaimed’s focus is the American Industrial Age and the hard-working American men and women who toiled daily in factories under challenging conditions. The store is stocked with recycled furniture, ironwork, metalwork, home décor, and American made salvage items. Also, you’ll be exposed to two passions that the Millers share: Restoration of “Petroliana” (items relating to gas pumps) and custom-building furniture from iron machine bases discovered in their travels.

On the day I visited, something caught my eye everywhere I looked due to the creative merchandising that made browsing an adventure. First, there was a pair of square coffee tables with iron legs and wood tops, then a group of end tables and a coffee table with convex iron legs with reclaimed wood tops. Other furniture included a variety of wood cupboards, storage pieces, sideboards, tables, end tables, coffee tables, and small chests. The pendant light fixtures hanging from the ceiling are also for sale. I was delighted to find two whimsical sea creatures created by the metal artisan David Dunn, whose work I have featured in the Talbot Spy.

As an architect, I was intrigued by their selection of old barn wood as a wall finish or flooring for residential and commercial use. They offer the wood in several species and finishes to architects, interior designers, and contractors for residential or commercial projects.

Kudos to Mark and Tracey for bringing their unique stores to St. Michaels. Visit their website for information about upcoming events at Reclaimed, including their February 15th event with live music, furniture giveaways, and other surprises. See you there!

Reclaimed, “Iron and Wood Redefined” is located at 114 S. Talbot St., Suite B, in the new commercial building on the former Acme site. For more information, call 267-221-5017, follow them on Facebook @reclaimedmd or on Instagram @reclaimedmaryland or email. Hours are 9:00 am to 6:00 pm seven days a week.

Jennifer Martella has pursued her dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. Her award winning work has ranged from revitalization projects to a collaboration with the Maya Lin Studio for the Children’s Defense Fund’s corporate retreat in her home state of Tennessee.

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The Circuit Court of Talbot County has ruled that the St. Michaels Ethics Commission must hear a conflict-of-interest complaint filed by the St. Michaels Action Committee against Commissioner William Boos.

In May of 2019 the ethics commission dismissed SMAC’s complaint against Boos following a closed hearing on April 25, where SMAC was not notified and therefore could not participate in the proceeding.

SMAC had filed a complaint with the ethics commission on April 10, alleging Boos had a conflict of interest in considering locations for new town hall and police station–due to Boos’ business relationship with The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, which had been actively seeking to purchase town owned property at 301 Mill St., a location under consideration for the new town hall.

At the July 11, 2018 Commissioners’ meeting, Boos had recommended a location other than 301 Mill St. for the new town hall.

“At the time Mr. Boos was spearheading the town’s effort to build a new town office,” said a statement from SMAC on Jan. 6. “One of the prime locations available is a large town-owned lot which the museum is actively trying to acquire from the town” at 301 Mill St.

Boos is the Delmarva Regional Manager for Curtis Stokes & Associates Yacht Brokerage, which has a brokerage agreement with the museum.

In September of 2018, Boos asked the ethics commission to consider whether there was a conflict of interest because of his employment with Curtis Stokes & Associates. In January of 2019 the ethics commission cleared him of any conflicts.

The Circuit Court of Talbot County ruled last week that the ethics commission must hold a public hearing on the complaint against Boos.

In his ruling, Judge Stephen H. Kehoe said the ethics commission used “used an unlawful procedure” to dismiss the complaint.

“The failure to grant SMAC an evidentiary hearing that would allow it to call witnesses, produce evidence and cross examine other witnesses was an abuse of discretion,” Koe wrote.

“SMAC is gratified by the Court’s decision, said SMAC’s John Novak. “We have always seen this case as a matter of fundamental fairness to the citizens of St. Michaels. It is unfortunate that the Town Commissioners have invested time and taxpayer money in an effort to deprive these citizens of their right to bring complaints before the Ethics Commission and have them fairly heard. SMAC looks forward to a hearing on the merits before the Ethics Commission.”